11.6.17

LOSING THE GOOD OF THE INTELLECT.

Modernists are those who believe in human progress within a classical Western tradition. They believe that the world can continuously be improved through science, technology, and rationality. Unlike traditionalists, they seek progress rather than reversal, but what they share in common is an interest in preserving the basic structures of Western society. Most modernists could be classified as centrists (either left or right-leaning), classical liberals and libertarians.

Postmodernists, on the other hand, eschew any notion of objectivity, perceiving knowledge as a construct of power differentials rather than anything that could possibly be mutually agreed upon.

He's less sanguine about the fate of what he calls "traditionalists," although he is in error characterizing the stance of "traditionalists" as "looking to go back to an earlier time when they believe society was better." It's not about going back, it's about achieving a state of good repair, but the burden of proof is on the traditionalists to demonstrate that what passes as "progress" is often destructive, and that is a case the methods of the classical Western tradition can be used to evaluate. The postmodern alternative, unfortunately, is to construct a traditional reality by cracking heads.

Thus, Mr Dreher might be too pessimistic. Mr Aaron points out that, precisely in one of the craziest outposts of academic moonbattery, the head-crackers are in charge.

Evergreen State represents the natural culmination of postmodern thought—roving mobs attempting to silence dissenting thought merely based on race, informed by far left theories that weaponize a victim status drawn solely from immutable, innate traits. Unfortunately, I cannot place full blame on the students either, as they have been indoctrinated with these ideas on the very campus that is now serving as the petri dish for applied postmodernism.

And the will to power is so strong that at Evergreen State, the new symbol of slacktivism is the thug with a club.

Remind me again, what compelling state interest is being served thereby?